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In this issue:
We changed our HMO licensing fee structure on 1 October 2023. The fees apply to all HMO applications that were submitted on or after 1st October 2023. Please see the fee structure below. We have also updated our HMO policy which reflects the changes in fees.
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Application type
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Stage 1 fee
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Stage 2 fee
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Total fee
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Higher rate new application - 1-year licence – where landlord has been found to be operating an unlicensed HMO.
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£625.00
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£1,185.00
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£1,810.00
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Standard New Application - 1-year licence – where the landlord is licensing a new HMO without being identified as part of the Council proactive enforcement regime.
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£625.00
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£635.00
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£1,260.00
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New Application – 2 year licence – where landlord is eligible for a 2 year licence
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£625.00
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£275.00
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£900.00
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New Application – 5 year licence – where landlord is eligible for a 5 year licence
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£625.00
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£190.00
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£815.00
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Standard Renewal – renewal of a licence – Where landlord is eligible for a renewal licence where the original licences length is not changing
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£625.00
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£165.00
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£790.00
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Stage 1 fees for withdrawn applications have been non-refundable since 1 April 2022. However, we will continue to assess requests for refunds depending on specific circumstances on a case-by-case basis.
We have also updated the below fees:
- Pre-licensing advice - £260.00 plus VAT
- Housing Act Notices - £435.00
Coventry Landlord Accreditation Scheme (CLAS) and Housing Enforcement will soon be moving over to a new software system. This will be the same system that HMO Licensing is using to process licences. The change over will be gradual from December 2023 and we will keep our webpages updated as the system is rolled out. The switch over will enable both teams to be able to process their workload more efficiently.
The Housing Enforcement team has recently hired two Trainee Environmental Health Officers who will be completing an Environmental Health degree through an apprenticeship whilst also working as Environmental Health Officers mainly in Housing Enforcement but they will also gain experience in other areas of housing and wider Environmental Health.
We also have two new Environmental Health Officers. One of which is a permanent post and the other is a temporary post to back fill a post an Officer has vacated for a secondment. The latter is temporary until the end of March 2025.
The team is now fully staffed and making great progress in working through a backlog of work due to being understaffed for a significant period of time.
We have noted that we receive a substantial number of requests for an update regarding HMO applications status. If you are looking for a quick update on your HMO application you can log into our HMO Licence register. You can manually search for your property. Once you have found your property if you select ‘Details’ on the right-hand side. You can view what stage of the licensing process your application is currently in. We are updating this section regularly so if you spot any issues with your property information, please let us know by emailing HMO@coventry.gov.uk.
Please see the below for more details regarding the licensing status meanings:
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Application Under Review – We have received an application, but it has not yet been allocated to a Property Licensing Assistant (PLA) to validate.
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Application Incomplete (Chasing) – A PLA has reviewed the application and determined that there is outstanding information or certificates.
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Application Complete (Valid) – A PLA has reviewed the application and determined it is complete and valid. This property is now awaiting an inspection from one of our officers.
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Inspected – Pending for Draft – The property has been inspected by one of our officers and we are waiting for this to be allocated back to a PLA.
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Draft Issued (Pending Reps) – A PLA has sent the Intention to Grant a Licence paperwork.
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Licence Granted Stage 2 Fee Outstanding – The licence has been granted. However, the stage 2 fee has not yet been paid and the licence is at risk of being revoked if it is not paid.
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Issued Granted – The licence has been granted.
If you search on our online register and do not find your application, this may be due to it being an application received before 26 September 2022. If you want an update on an application received before this date, you may need to email our HMO inbox and ask for an update.
We have noticed that HMO applications are being applied for under the incorrect licence type. This causes more work for us and landlords/agents as we have to reject the application and request a new correct application. When you are on our application webpage. There is an HMO Application Triage that will help you to identify the type of application you need to make. If you are unsure on the application type, you can click on our application triage (on the left-hand side of the webpage) and answer some questions which will help you determine your licence type.
We have introduced a new application type for section 257 HMOs - converted houses.
Section 257 of the Housing Act 2004 applies to properties that have been converted rather than purpose built and describes a HMO as a building:
- which has been converted into and consists of self-contained flats
- where the conversion work did not comply with the appropriate building standards and still does not
- where less than two-thirds of the flats are owner-occupied.
The appropriate building standards are those required by the Building Regulations 1991 or 2000 (whichever were in force at the time of the conversion).
Owner-occupiers are those with a lease of more than 21 years or who own the freehold in the converted block of flats, or a member of the household of the person who is the owner.
If the flat within a building has 3 or more unrelated persons occupying it and sharing amenities, that individual flat would need a separate Additional Licence.
If the flat within a building has 5 or more unrelated persons occupying it and sharing amenities, that individual flat would need a separate Mandatory Licence.
If you own this type of HMO, please use HMO Additional Licence (S257) Application.
Severn Trent are offering to upgrade your lead or leaking water supply pipes at no cost to you. These pipes are your responsibility to maintain and could cost you up to £3,000 per property to replace.
It’s part of an ambitious project to upgrade our network, replacing up to 25,000 water supply pipes for Coventry customers before March 2025.
Visit Severn Trent’s Webpage to find out more and register your residential property today using our online form.
Only register for one property and when they call you to arrange an inspection, explain you own multiple properties.
Potential benefits for you and your tenants
- Reduces the risk of leaks as pipes age, saving you money and hassle in the long run.
- Removes old lead pipes (lead was commonly used in homes built before 1970).
- A new industry standard pipe has the potential to help improve the water flow or pressure.
- A smart meter will be installed to help your tenants to measure water usage (It won’t change how they get billed by Severn Trent, but if you can save money they’ll let you know).
The Gas Safety Charity is offering free training on carbon monoxide risks. The training is a part of its Think CO Awareness Raising Programme and consists of an online workshop.
You can help protect vulnerable people by booking onto their free workshop. The training is for 1 hour (9:30am – 10:30am) and is an interactive Zoom workshop. During this workshop you will learn about the sources, signs and symptoms of CO poising as well as what to do to help prevent the risks. You will also learn about the support that exists for people in fuel poverty.
Let's Rent has listened to landlords' feedback and made changes.
They still offer the rent guarantee and other benefits such as a managed scheme for peace of mind, deposit, bonus payment to private sector landlords who want to work with the Council by providing tenancies in order to alleviate homelessness in the city.
Let’s Rent is a completely free service so contact us to find out more.
Email the team: LetsRentCoventry@coventry.gov.uk
They will guarantee rent payments up to the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rate for the period of the tenancy (up to 2 years).
The rent will be topped up to the average market rate.
We want to work with you to improve housing in the city. If you want to get in touch with any questions please, contact the team:
Email: hmo@coventry.gov.uk
Telephone: 024 7697 5467
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